by InTrieste
Pope Leo XIV has submitted a mail-in ballot for the U.S. midterm elections, marking what is believed to be the first time a sitting pope has voted in an American election.
The vote would also appear to make Leo XIV the first pontiff known to have participated in a secular democratic election, an unusual development given the traditionally nonpartisan role of the papacy.
The Vatican said the Chicago-born pontiff, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, voted as a U.S. citizen, submitting his ballot in Chicago ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.
In a statement, the Holy See Press Office said the pope had voted whenever eligible, including during his years living in Peru. It described participation in democratic processes as both a right and a duty of citizens.
Leo XIV, who became the first American pope when he was elected in May 2025, has maintained his U.S. citizenship despite his position as head of the Catholic Church.
His participation in the election is particularly unusual because no previous pope is known to have voted in a secular democratic election, according to historians cited by CNN.
The elections are also drawing attention among Americans living in Italy, including those in Friuli Venezia Giulia. According to a recent report citing data from Italy’s Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, approximately 5,031 U.S. citizens hold official residence permits in the region. Separately, ISTAT recorded 540 residents with U.S. citizenship in its January 2025 census figures, using a narrower population measure.
Many Americans in the region have already mailed in their ballots, considering this particular midterm election especially consequential for the country’s political direction and future. For expatriates, voting offers a way to remain involved in decisions that affect family members, communities and their own connections to the United States, despite living abroad.
The midterm elections are considered a significant test of the political balance of power in Washington. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are being contested, alongside several governorships and state and local offices.
The outcome will determine whether President Donald Trump’s administration retains Republican control of both chambers of Congress or faces a divided legislature.
The results could have substantial implications for the administration’s ability to advance its legislative agenda, including policies on immigration, taxation, healthcare, foreign affairs and federal spending. Control of Congress also determines the direction of legislative oversight and the extent to which lawmakers can scrutinize the president’s policies.
Although midterm elections do not determine who occupies the White House, they often serve as a referendum on the sitting president’s performance and can reshape the political landscape for the remainder of a presidential term.
